


Stars in Their Own Rights

by volatileSoloist



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: And stuff goes downhill, Demon Summoning, Gen, In which Gideon gets in over his head, Kidnapping, Mental Anguish, So guess who has to save the day?, Transcendence AU, and Dipper responds in a totally appropriate manner
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-18
Updated: 2014-11-04
Packaged: 2018-02-21 14:43:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2472008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/volatileSoloist/pseuds/volatileSoloist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been a while since the Transcendence, the cataclysm that introduced the supernatural confined to Gravity Falls to the rest of the world. It's been even longer since the Pines took down Gideon. Now, Gideon thinks he has a way to get his revenge.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Lights

  


Fan art by Tumblr user [ghostfiish](http://ghostfiish.tumblr.com/post/99665064475/the-description-in-this-fic-left-an-impression-on)

On the day Gideon chose for his revenge, the wind was sharp and the leaves crunched under his heavy footfalls; he imagined them as his enemies and relished each crinkle and snap of the brittle foliage.

Ten years had come and gone since he had first made the acquaintance of the Pines; it had been ten years since he had met the radiant Mabel Pines, and ten years since he had been so, _so close_ to getting his revenge on Dipper and Stanford Pines for taking her, _his queen_ , from him. It had been five years since the catastrophe that dramatically changed the world and allowed Gideon to escape with his little convict fan club. In the chaos, it had been far too easy to slip below the radar of the law, and Gideon had let himself, for once, drift out of the spotlight he had been born for. As he was rather infamous in Gravity Falls, it had been best to lie low. Revenge would be sweeter if he had to wait for it… or at least, that’s what his dad said. In Gideon’s opinion, the time of the Pines’ recompense couldn’t come soon enough. And now, finally, that time was upon them.

Gideon wasn’t a child anymore; he wouldn’t make the same foolish mistakes he’d made in the past. It had taken a while for him to hear tell of a powerful and fierce demon named Alcor—one whose abilities far outstripped those of the previous one he’d hired to take down the Pines—but when he had, he knew that this time would be a success. Feared by all, omniscient, and ruthless, Alcor would take down the Pines in the blink of an eye with a wave of his hand.

The circle in the woods was carefully prepared, the candles were lit and in place, and the sacrifice Gideon had chosen was bleeding out in the middle of the circle. He double-checked the incantation to make sure he wouldn’t mess up and summon a _lesser demon_ , and reviewed his request to make sure there were no loopholes for the dark being to exploit. Everything was as it should be; his preparations were enough for about fifteen minutes of Alcor’s time, though Gideon was confident he wouldn’t need half of that to get what he wanted. “After all,” he mused with a chuckle, “people have a hard time saying no to li’l ol’ me.”

The clouds grew darker as Gideon began to chant. “ _Astrum splendidum, vos invoco. Vos invoco ut faciatis voluntatem meam. Dico nomen vestrum: Alcor!_ ” The crisp wind blew stronger, and as the candles in the circle were snuffled out, a tall, lithe figure erupted from a gathering pool of shadows in the center of the summoning circle. Gideon, who’d fallen back in surprise, scrambled to his feet as a booming, menacing—and vaguely _familiar?_ —voice said, “ _ **You dare summon Alcor, the m—**_ “ The demon broke off in surprise, staring at Gideon with bemusement clear on his pitch black features. The two stood and goggled at each other. Gideon mentally prepared himself to speak, and—

“ _ **AH HAHAHAHAHA!**_ ”

The demon howled with laughter and doubled over in midair, clutching its sides in glee. A sharp Cheshire cat smile spread across his features, and as Gideon stood in confusion, tears of mirth actually formed in the corners of Alcor’s eyes. Then the black of Alcor’s skin shimmered away, brick by golden-edged brick until what had been a terrifying demon only moments before took on the appearance of—no, _revealed himself as_ —Dipper Pines.

Gideon’s mouth dropped open, and he gaped, slack jawed, at one of the very people he had called on Alcor to destroy. Dipper floated a little above him, guffawing loudly. Gideon was in too great a shock to even blush in humiliation, much less demand the success of the goal he’d been aching to achieve for years. For the life of him, Gideon couldn’t comprehend why _Dipper_ had shown up when he’d summoned Alcor—Dipper wasn’t a demon!

Somehow fifteen minutes of solid laughter had gone by, for the circle, which had glowed when Alcor (no, _Dipper_ ) appeared, flickered out and Dipper disappeared. Gideon had scarcely managed to take a ragged breath when Dipper appeared again, _right in his face_ , still laughing raucously. When his hoots subsided into chuckles, and his chuckles into gasping breaths, he pinched Gideon’s cheek and vanished.

For the first time in a long, long while, Gideon felt very little, and far, _far_ from gleeful.


	2. Camera

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while since the Transcendence, the cataclysm that introduced the supernatural confined to Gravity Falls to the rest of the world. It's been even longer since the Pines took down Gideon. Now, Gideon thinks he has a way to get his revenge.

Acacia Pines took a deep breath in, smelling the crispness of the drying leaves around her. It was a perfect day for one of her routine hikes in the woods near the Mystery Shack. Today, Acacia had decided, she was going to find and photograph a Leprecorn. _Won't Mom and Dad and Uncle Dipper be proud!_ Acacia thought giddily as she tromped through the piles of leaves littering the forest floor. With her eyes so glued to the ground for tracks, she didn't even notice the large man inspecting one of the signs for the Shack until he called out to her.

“Oh! Excuse me, li'l missus, could you help me? I've think I've lost my way, goodness me.” Acacia started, attempting to take in the appearance of the towering figure, who aided her in the attempt by kneeling down carefully to her level. He wore a pastel blue vest over a black shirt and and expensive-looking pants, had a smattering of freckles across his paunchy face, and a bob of platinum-blond hair. He smiled in a friendly way and spoke with a charming accent ( _Southern, maybe? Probably_ , Acacia decided). “Sure,” Acacia said, hesitantly. 

Uncle Dipper and Mom had taught her to identify all the sorts of mystical humanoids that lurk in the woods, and this man seemed like a normal human. “Oh, thank the stars,” he drawled pleasantly, “I was beginning to think I'd be stuck in these eerie woods forever! Heavens, it's spooky in here!” Acacia grinned; he had a weird habit of saying things that sounded old-fashioned.

The man shifted onto his heels ( _He probably doesn't want to get his pants dirty_ , thought Acacia) and pointed to one of the signs, saying, “Now, those signs say I'm near someplace called the Mystery Shack, but they don't tell me _where_ it is. Do you think you could lead me outta here? I'd be ever so grateful.”

Acacia nodded, trotting ahead of the man. “Yeah, it's just this way, follow me!” She scampered away, feeling very important and grown up. She had such a momentum going that when the man looped an arm around her waist from behind, she had the breath knocked out of her. Acacia squirmed wildly as she was lifted into the air. Before she could scream, the man pressed a foul-smelling cloth to her nose and mouth. As her vision went dark, she heard him chuckle and say, “I'm sorry 'bout this, li'l missus Pines, but you've got a more important job than leading me to the Mystery Shack to do.”

\---

Gideon arrived at the barren section of the woods, carefully guiding his old blue pickup-truck around the fallen, leafless trees. After some research, he'd located the precise epicentre of the spot where the Transcendence took place. Aside from it being secluded and hard for anyone to stumble upon by accident, it would have a very symbolic significance: here, a demon had been destroyed and another created; thus, when he performed the ritual here, the effectiveness would be that much more powerful, mentally and physically.

He carefully lifted the limp, unconscious body of Acacia Pines out of the back seat, double checking that the zip-ties he'd used to bind her weren't chafing against her wrists. It was important that he not hurt her, his insurance. He briefly paused in his preparations; she looked _so much_ like her mother Mabel. Gideon shook his head before carrying her over to the pole he'd placed in the ground and firmly tying her there. If everything went well today, he and Mabel would be finally reunited. Of course, he was a little hurt that she'd married and had kids, but hey, everyone makes bad judgement calls from time to time. If things went right, her husband would be easy to get rid of, anyway.

He approached the circle of ground he'd measured precisely and soaked with holy water. Then, with as steady a hand as he could, he drew the summoning circle for the demon Alcor—otherwise known as Dipper Pines—double-checking with the rune book to make sure that he wasn't messing up any of the binding symbols he drew in salt.

Years ago, if he'd tried this, he'd surely have died within the first ten seconds of his confrontation with Dipper. Gideon wasn't stupid; he'd heard all about the ruthlessness of Alcor. It was well worth the extra decade of demon hunting to have all the protection and experience he needed. He'd learned about the necessity of the application of binding runes, silver bells, salt, and holy water in the summoning, banishing, and—for the weaker ones— destruction of demons the hard way. The long scars on his rib cage and back attested to that. So now, in the face of potentially the most dangerous demon in existence, he was careful to be perfect.

He drew several protective circles around himself and Acacia, for good measure, then lit the candles around the summoning circle. Everything was in place: he was in between Acacia—so that he could make good on his threat, if he had to—and his truck, where a cooler of holy water with a spray-hose attached to the nozzle sat. He could use that in case Dipper tried anything sneaky. He placed his sacrifice—a fat rabbit he'd been giving holy water to for the past few days—in the circle. Stepping back into his protective ring, he began to chant.

\---

Dipper hovered uneasily above an anxiously pacing Mabel. When Acacia hadn't come back from her hike by the time Mabel had specified—as good as Acacia was at navigating the woods, Mabel didn't want her doing it in the dark; at least, not without one of Mabel's lightbulb sweaters—the brunette had started to worry. Henry, though as worried as Mabel was, placed a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her (and keep her putting a groove into the floor) and said, “If Acacia were in trouble, she would've called Dipper. You know how adventurous she is. It's more than likely that she's enjoying herself so much she hasn't even noticed how dark it's getting.”

Mabel swatted his hand in frustration and said, “How can you say that? You know how dangerous those woods can be! I don't know if she brought magic-creature repellant with her or not!” She began heaving sobs.

Dipper frowned unhappily; it tore at him to see Mabel that upset, but he was more worried about how he couldn't sense Acacia. Not as though she weren't in the area, but almost as though she didn't _exist_. He could feel faintly enough that she wasn't dead, but not pinpoint her location much better than Gravity Falls. It was as though something had taken great effort in obscuring her from his omnipotence, and the thought made him grind his teeth. However, he knew that Mabel would only worry more if he told her that. “That's right. I haven't gotten a summons from her, and you know that's the first thing she would do if she were in danger.”

“Unless she can't! What about that Dipper? What if she's unconscious or hurt or—w-worse?” The pain in his twin's voice sliced through Dipper. He put his hand on Mabel's other shoulder and said, “It's alright, Mabel. I'll go look for her for you.” He had expected relief, but instead Mabel's eyes lit up with furious determination. “Like you're going alone! I'll search the woods. You can search the town; we'll cover more ground this way.” Just as Dipper opened his mouth to argue, he felt a strong tug around the area of his stomach. It was almost as though someone had socked him in the gut. At the same time, he felt a familiar essence... Acacia! She must have decided to summon him using her hair as a burnt sacrifice, though Dipper wasn't sure why she'd do that when she could just use her talisman... maybe she'd lost it. “It's okay, I think I just got a summons from her. I'll bring her back home, Mabel.” Dipper let himself be pulled toward the summons. 

That's when things started to go wrong.

As soon as he materialized, he felt short of breath and his skin burned and itched. The one chanting smirked up at him, the smile on his flabby face as vicious as any Dipper could muster. “Alcor, I bind you to me to obey my will and command with your true name, _Dipper Pines!_ ” 

Dipper immediately tugged in his link with his twin— _Mabel! It's a trap!_ —but all at one, the burning sensation increased. Dipper hurled all of his demonic might into trying to break the circle, but suddenly he felt weak. He fell to the ground, everything burning. His eyes fell upon Acacia, unconscious and tied up next to his summoner, the paunchy man in the blue vest. _A trick,_ Dipper thought. **Gideon** _tricked me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2: Oooh, suspense! One more in the process. Posts that inspired me/I took ideas from are: [x](http://transcendence-au.tumblr.com/post/100059641703/reading-your-fic-which-was-awesome-i-noticed-that)[x](http://transcendence-au.tumblr.com/post/100047090863/once-he-got-over-the-whole-dippers-the-most-powerful)[x](http://transcendence-au.tumblr.com/post/99887632408/ive-got-a-handful-of-messages-asking-about)[x](http://hexabeast.tumblr.com/post/99567182150/hi-i-love-the-gravity-falls-transcendence-au-and)


	3. Action

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while since the Transcendence, the cataclysm that introduced the supernatural confined to Gravity Falls to the rest of the world. It's been even longer since the Pines took down Gideon. Now, Gideon thinks he has a way to get his revenge.

' _Mabel! MABEL! I need your help, it's---_ '

Dipper's frantic telepathic pleas were interrupted when a stream of holy water hit him in the face. It wasn’t as powerful as it was cracked out to be in religion or movies; it certainly couldn’t destroy or banish him, but it hurt like boiling water. He hissed, weakly pawing at his face, and Gideon laughed, voice full of malicious glee.

“Not so high and mighty now, are you, Dipper Pines? Now we see who's the cat, and who's the mouse!” the pudgy man gloated. It had been a decade since Dipper had last seen him, and this was not the same person he'd been then. When Gideon had unknowingly summoned him, Dipper found the situation so hilarious that he'd been unable to hold back his laughter—not needing to breath meant he could go on and on for as long as he wanted—and had condescendingly tweaked his cheek before going on his merry way. He hadn't given Gideon a single thought since—though, evidently, he should have.

Gideon rubbed his hands together, businesslike, and said, “Well, then, as your new _master_ , my first order for you is that you can not harm me in _any way_. That means no possessing anyone and getting them to do it or not protecting me when I’m attacked, etc. I figure that's a good enough starting point.” He let out another strangled, snorting chuckle; clearly seeing Dipper like this was doing wonders for his own self-esteem.

Dipper let out a near-subsonic growl and hissed, “ _ **I swear, kid, as soon as I get out of here, you'll wish you'd never been born. I will tear you limb from fu—**_ ” Dipper winced as the holy water hose was aimed at him, and Gideon smirked with satisfaction. “I wouldn't speak out of turn or insult your new master, if I were you. Something awful might happen to you... or your little niece.”

Gideon produced a knife and casually walked over to Acacia, whistling something suspiciously like “Widdle Ol' Me”. Dipper felt sickened; he wanted so badly to burst out of the circle and save her and **make Gideon _BEG FOR DEATH_** but he couldn't, he was—he was too weak.

He crouched down next to her and switched the knife to his left hand so he could tilt her head up. “Now, you’re a demon, and demons are masters of lies, so you should know if I'm lying, right? Well, heaven knows I'm not lying when I say I haven't hurt her—and I'm sure you don't count cutting a tiny bit of her hair as harming her.” He held up the singed lock, the one that Dipper had thought _Acacia_ was using to summon him. “However,” he said, tossing the clipping aside and raising the knife to Acacia's throat, “if you start trying to break out of that circle, I won't _hesitate_ to change that.” His threat hanging in the air, he stood and sheathed his knife.

“Now, to business.”

\---

Gideon wanted to dance from happiness. Not only was one of his archnemeses powerless at his feet, but that archnemesis happened to be one of the most, if not _the_ most, powerful beings in existence. It was intoxicating! It was all Gideon could do to keep his composure; after all, _someone_ here had to be the mature figure, and he was the one in charge, so it should be him. If he hadn't summoned Dipper with a very specific purpose in mind, he might have reveled in having his own pet demon. Instead, Gideon opened the door of his truck and pulled out a tome that looked more weathered and old than the three journals combined.

“This here tome contains demonic, metaphysical knowledge: the bread and butter of any demon hunter and probably the best-compiled lore on the subject.” Gideon tossed it casually in the dirt. “Sure, it got me started, but my own, painstaking-demon-hunting experiences got me here. I couldn't have done half as much as I have with just that old thing. I'm thinking, when I'm through with you, maybe I'll write my own, bring a li'l fame back to the Gleeful name.” Or maybe more than a little... didn't Gideon deserve to be as famous as, if not more than, he'd been back in the heyday of the Tent 'O' Telepathy?

“My point being, in my years, I've learned all there is to know about summoning demons, banishing them, _destroying_ some of the weaker ones. The only one who probably surpasses me is _you_ , Dipper Pines. After all, your predecessor was the most powerful demon in the universe until you killed him and stole his powers. I could probably make you tell me how you did it, but I don't need your advice. Death's too sweet for you, Dipper Pines. I'm gonna make you regret ever crossing me.”

Gideon advanced as far as he dared go in his circle, and began to talk quickly, while gesturing animatedly. “As a half-human, you have a strong connection to the mortal plane. As a half-dream demon, you have an ever stronger connection to the Dreamscape. But what if I severed you from _both_ planes, so completely you could never interact with anyone or anything in them ever again? What if you could never talk to Mabel or Stanford Pines again?”

Would you be sorry then?”

Gideon relished the horrified look on Dipper's face with growing satisfaction. “Oh, _yes_ , Dipper Pines, there's _another_ plane of existence I can send you to... for all eternity. No summons or sacrifice could ever bring you back. You'd never interact with anyone, living or dead, ever again. I think that's a good enough punishment for foiling my plots and turning Mabel against me, don't you?”

Gideon reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a ragged, frayed piece of paper and lazily unfolded it, keeping eye-contact with Dipper and basking in his near-palpable dismay. The paper in question had been the one thing he salvaged from the book that now lay on the dirty ground. The page had merely been speculation on a void realm in between Earth and the Dreamscape along with an theoretical incantation to travel there; Gideon's investigation had led him to prove the existence of the realm and perfect the incantation. He was reading over his work rapturously when Dipper's croaking voice interrupted his train of thought. “If you think Mabel will ever love you, especially after this, you're the craziest person to ever live.”

If that was intended to make Gideon rethink what he was about to do, it failed miserably. Gideon barked out a laugh. “You think I haven't thought of that? I've made a deal with another demon, one who deals specifically with _memories_.” He let that sink in before continuing, “If I could get rid of you—you've created a lot of resentment in the demon world, Dipper—then this demon will change the memories of a choice few people. Gideon Gleeful will never have gone to jail. He'll be adored once more— _especially_ by Mabel. As far as she'll know, I'll have always been her object of affections. Her husband and Stanford Pines will be easy to get rid of without you protecting them. Everything is going my way, Dipper Pines, and nothing— _nothing_ —is going to change that.”

Satisfied that he'd had the last word, Gideon glanced down at the paper and began to chant. “ _Tu, magne, potens dominus somniorum mittuntur ad inane. Quoniam stellæ cæli, rejiciunt tuam. Est regnum tuum, et remittitur. Relinque---_ ”

Gideon faltered upon hearing startlingly close footsteps and heavy breathing. He glanced bemusedly toward the source of the sound, though his expression changed to one of pleasant surprise as a woman in a brightly colored sweater charged out from behind one of the large tree husks.

\---

Mabel was certain she was heading in the right direction when the sky turned darker and the wind picked up.

The instant she’d gotten Dipper’s mental S.O.S., she’d dropped everything she’d been doing (aka pacing around the house) and rushed to the woods. _It’s a trap_ , he’d said. If Mabel was worried before, she was terrified now. Anything that could frighten Dipper was something to be reckoned with, and whatever that was had her daughter and her twin!

Was it cultists? A monster? Another demon? Oh, god, was Bill back?! In her rush to help Dipper, she’d only had time to take her grappling hook from the peg by the door. Against something like Bill, that wouldn’t be much help. But still, she had to succeed. She was Mabel Pines, Mizar the Twin Star, the Queen of Sweaters and All Things Glitter, and Super-Mom Supreme; she could be counted on to save her all-powerful demon brother when he needed it.

It was only when she started seeing the fallen trees did she realize where she was headed, where the bond that connected Dipper and her was leading her: it was the spot where Bill had died and Dipper had become a demon… _oh god, it really is Bill, isn’t it?_ Mabel panicked, and hid behind the trunk of a dead tree. She would never forget that battle, and how much it terrified her to see Dipper injured that badly. Now, here she was, with the possibility of losing her brother again. She couldn’t fail him twice. Steeling her resolve, she burst out from behind the tree and entered the clearing as… _Gideon?!_ Wait, _what?_

Mabel rubbed her eyes to see if there was any chance she was hallucinating, but no, the man standing there, while clearly not nine like he was when they last saw each other, was obviously Gideon. He was the same from his platinum hair and chubby, freckled face to his baby blue, ill-fitted dress clothes. He gazed at her, a wide smile spreading across his features, and he said pleasantly, “Why, Mabel Pines! It’s been so dreadfully long! What are you doing out in these awful woods? How’ve you been, dumplin’?”

Mabel was still, quite frankly, dumbstruck, and she might have stood there gaping for a little while longer had her attention not been drawn by a rattling, croaking whisper from her brother. “ _Mabel...Gideon tried to b--_ ”

However, he was interrupted by Gideon, who quickly sidestepped so that he blocked Dipper from Mabel’s view. “Oh, I’m sorry ‘bout that, Mabel, you sorta caught me while I was busy. But no matter! In a few minutes, I’ll have quite a lot of free time; perchance you’d like to catch up over some coffee then? Twenty years is such an awfully long time.”

He might have said more, but at that moment Mabel strode forward, grabbed a fistful of fabric from his vest, and demanded, “What in the heck are you doing to my brother, you little creep? Answer me! Now!” Mabel’s voice shook with fury; she’d had enough of this punk and his antics; couldn’t he take a hint?

Immediately, Gideon’s features hardened and he, in a move that took Mabel by surprise, slapped her hand off. He was younger than her by three years, but he seemed much taller all of a sudden. “I’m sorry, Mabel, but something this important to me, I can’t be bothered wasting time explaining it to you. So why don’t you just sit tight and let me handle your freak brother; I promise you, you’ll be seeing things in a much better light after.”

The last words, spoken in a menacing tone Gideon didn’t quite pull off due to the fact that he looked essentially like an overgrown child, had an effect on Mabel nonetheless: she immediately wound up and punched him right in the face, sending him reeling. Mabel didn’t stop to revel at her triumph, though; instead, she charged straight through Gideon’s protective circle, kicking salt aside and punting bells and candles, before taking a running leap and landing inside the summoning circle where her brother knelt. In the instant before her hand touched Dipper’s shoulder, Mabel heard Gideon’s cry of fury and dismay. Then the world went gray.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3 down, one more to go! Hope you're excited, and thanks for all the kind words.


	4. Cut

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s been a while since the Transcendence, the cataclysm that introduced the supernatural confined to Gravity Falls to the rest of the world. It’s been even longer since the Pines took down Gideon. Now, Gideon thinks he has a way to get his revenge.

Mabel was used to the calm, gray blanket of the Dreamscape. She was _not_ used to seeing it like this.

The entire backdrop shook and blurred around her, and as she watched, small tears appeared, ripping open to reveal pockets of black void that faintly pulled at her. _Nope_ , thought Mabel, and she floated toward the other side of the connection between her and Dipper. She had to hurry; Mabel was immensely disconcerted about how fragile it felt.

The Dreamscape warped around her as she traveled, and with a harsh jerk she suddenly found herself outside a monochrome Mystery Shack. She doubled over and heaved, but nothing came up. Shakily getting up and glancing warily at the shuddering, unsafe-looking frame, she entered the building. “ _Dipper?_ ” Mabel called, her voice reverberating and echoing in the flickering space. A shifting snarl of glitchiness blocked her way up the stairs to the attic, but she plunged through without hesitation.

Her form went fuzzy on passing through, then solidified, and she shook off the little clots of glitch that clung to her like lint. Quickly ascending the rest of the stairs, she entered the attic of the Mystery Shack; in Dipper’s Mindscape, it still looked the same as it had when they were kids. However, she didn’t see Dipper… that is, until she looked left and saw a shivering, twelve year old boy huddled in the corner.

“ _Oh,_ Dipper _,_ ” Mabel sighed and went put her arm around her brother. However, for a terrifying second, her hand went _through_ him. Even with the whole Transcendence-thing, Mabel had still been able to touch Dipper. Her brother flinched and took a shuddering breath, before he solidified (her arm thankfully appearing around his shoulder instead of inside it) and leaned into her. _I’m scared, Mabel,_ said Dipper, his form flickering even as he spoke. _I’m the most powerful being in the world, but if you’d come a second later, I would’ve been gone._ Gideon _would have_ banished _me_. Dipper shuddered.

“ _Well, I’m here now, bro-bro, and he didn’t. If you want, we could get out of here; I broke the circle!_ ” Dipper shook his head mournfully. _Now that I’m bound to him, I can’t leave without his permission. I can’t use my powers, either. I feel so weak, Mabel. Useless and powerless, and--_

Mabel hushed him with a finger to his mouth, then put one to her own as she thought. “ _Can you make deals?_ ” Dipper considered. _I--I’m not sure,_ he murmured, _I don’t know if that counts as a power or not. And anyway, it’s not like you could make a deal with me where I destroy Gideon. His first order was that I couldn’t hurt him or allow him to be hurt._

Mabel considered, came up with an idea, reconsidered it, and then firmly resolved to act on it. “ _Listen, Dipper, I want you to give me your power to use--_ all of it _\--in exchange for revenge on Gideon, and then your freedom from his service._ ”

Dipper’s mouth fell open and he immediately vetoed, _No, Mabel, you can’t handle that! And besides, I can’t even reach my magic. How would I give it to you?_ Mabel smiled and said, “ _Well, it’s all still there, right? Gideon didn’t destroy it. Just give me the access code. And I’m sure you’ll be able to direct your magic through me so that it doesn’t fry my brain!_ ”

The beginnings of a smile, though nervous, appeared on his face. _Even if it worked, Gideon would order me to stop you._ Mabel grinned crookedly--quite literally, as even though she’d worn her braces until she was fifteen, her smile had somehow become a little uneven again--and said, “ _You’d be powerless, bro-bro. What could you do to stop me?_ Nibble my ankle _?_ ” Dipper laughed, and for a second, the Dreamscape stabilized.

 _Alright, Mabel. In exchange for the use of my powers, you will facilitate the destruction of Gideon Gleeful, our mutual archnemesis and grant me my freedom; I agree to these terms._ The brown haired boy stood up and stuck out his hand. Even though no blue fire appeared, Mabel shook his hand, and the Dreamscape dissolved in bright light.

\---

If Dipper hadn’t been helping Mabel, the raw power that coursed through her system and exploded out of her mouth, eyes, and hands would have disintegrated her.

As it was, she was briefly incapacitated, bright flashes of color obscuring her vision and fuzzing her mind. Then, quite suddenly, her vision cleared, and Mabel Pines _had never felt more alive_. She inspected her surroundings with glee, finding herself hovering ten feet about an absolutely terrified Gideon. _**Not so high and mighty anymore!**_ Mabel’s laughter reverberated in the air around them, and if Gideon’s expression was anything to go by, he’d just wet his pants.

Mabel raised a hand and Gideon rose up, his stubby legs kicking in midair. He managed to stutter out a “Let go of me, **now** , Mabel Pines,” but he shut up with a telekinetic shake. _**You’ve been messing with me and my family for long enough, Gideon. You’ve always thought you were the hunter. Now let’s see how you like being hunted.**_

With a flick of Mabel’s hand, Gideon went flying into the woods.

\---

Gideon normally would be bothered by the fact that his clothing was soiled and dirty, or that his hair was in complete disarray. Currently, though, he was occupied with running for his life. Though he’d been more physically active in recent years than at any point in time before then, he knew he couldn’t go on for long. But if he didn’t, Mabel--no, _that thing_ \--would kill him.

He was shaken out of his panicked, breathless train of thought when a low rumble shook the ground below him. The bushes along side him began to shiver and rustle. Then, the yipping and barking started. He caught glimpses of russet tails, of paws, of shining teeth and eyes.

 _Foxes_. Foxes were sacred to Alcor, and Mabel, using his power, had _set them on him_. Rustling from the bushes to his right gave him a split-second notice, and as a fox threw itself at him, Gideon thrust his knife into the lithe creature’s stomach; the fox snarled and foamed at the mouth for a few seconds before the light in its eyes went out. Gideon pushed it off the blade and continued running. He looked up and his heart stopped briefly; he screeched to a halt, just inches away from a thorny barricade. “What in tarnation,” he muttered, panicked, “is going on here?” More leafy walls rose up all around him until he was hemmed in by brush… a maze. He was in a godforsaken _maze_. This was a _game _to her.__

Louder, he shouted, “Mabel Pines, I demand that you let me out of here _at once!_ ” His words were greeted with creepy giggling, reverberating from every path around him. _**If you can find your way out!**_ answered a sing-song voice. It was Mabel talking, but the voice was not Mabel’s. Suddenly, it occurred to him. “Dipper Pines, I _command_ you to protect me from Mabel Pines. Stop her!”

Alcor’s voice whispered in his ear, somehow managing to sound both apologetic and malevolently mischievous at the same time. _Sorry,_ boss _, but you prevented me from accessing my powers when you bound me. You never gave them back, and now Mabel has them. As much as I want to,_ he drawled with saccharine sarcasm, _I_ can’t _help you._ Gideon’s face reddened, and his breathing quickened to feverish speeds. “You set me up, demon! As soon as I get out of here, I am going to finish what I started, and _mark my words_ : I _will_ get out of here!”

Gideon slashed at the wall of plant matter with his knife, hoping to cut his way out, only for it to get stuck as if he’d plunged it into thick mud. He pulled hard, but vines began to wrap around the blade, and as they crawled up to his hands, he had no choice but to let go. It was sucked through the bushes with a sound like a Pitt cola going through a shredder--soda, can, _and_ pit. He shuddered and backed away, then selected a path at random and charged down it.

He was confident that he’d picked a winning direction; there had been a cool breeze issuing from that corridor. That was before he saw the giant spider. Now he was running back the way he’d come, the sound of four sets of legs thumping and a pair of pincers clicking behind him. He scrambled around the corner, but a jet of silk caught his leg, making him trip. He screamed as he was reeled in, clawing at dirt that gave way in his hands and clogged his fingernails. He frantically kicked, and his satisfaction with feeling his foot connect melted away as it burned with pain. The heavy spider was sent reeling, and he hobbled away, one foot now, at the very least, fractured. The fuck were those things made of?!

Gideon stumbled frantically, and when a cross-breeze fluttered across his pallid cheeks, he walked in its direction, not daring to hope that it was an exit. Injured and unarmed as he was, any more mistakes would surely seal his doom. However, the hedges opened up, and with great joy he saw the edge of the forest appearing before him. He stumbled forward, eyes on the on the clearing in front of him. So focused was he that he didn’t see the mud pit before he fell into it.

Stuck up to his waist in mud, the exit of the forest just out of reach, Gideon let out a wail of pure despair. He was going to die… he was going to _die_. Gideon slowly began to sink in the mud. He thought of all the mistakes he’d ever made; he never should have gone against the Pines; they were crazier than he was. He never should’ve opened the journal; that was the whole reason he’d gotten entangled in this demon summoning mess. Marianna and Jemma--no, _Jeremiah_ \--he should’ve spent more time with them, should’ve accepted his _son_ ’s identity. It seemed so stupid, now, that he’d essentially abandoned them. There were so many should-haves, and now he was going to pay for his sins.

The mud crept up to his chin, and his thrashing only made it rise further. It rose to his mouth, and he sputtered and coughed. He sunk down to his nose and now he was choking, inhaling the bitter, earthy mud and dirt. Before he completely went under, he caught a glimpse of Mabel hovering over him. _I’m sorry_ , he pleaded with his eyes. Then he was sucked in and it all went dark and-- his eyes fluttered opened and he was in the clearing and he wasn’t dying and he was coughing violently, trying to expel the mud that had never been there in the first place.

\---

Dipper watched the events take place in a mixture of awe and satisfaction. Dipper had, in the past, witnessed Mabel create beautiful, fun dreams in the Dreamscape with little trouble... all on her own. But with his power at her fingers, she was capable of making incredible, terrifying nightmares. Mabel had levitated Gideon into the air, and then put him to sleep. The human part of him had to admit that what she was doing to Gideon was concerning. Her expression was one of anger, malevolence, and wicked glee; he never realized how vengeful Mabel could get on his behalf. At the same time, the transition between reality and dream had been incredibly smooth, and the dream-demon in Dipper had to admit that he was impressed.

As she’d been about to give Gideon the death he deserved, he’d glanced at his sister’s face and noticed that to his surprise, she was grimacing, looking concerned and uncertain. In the next instant, she’d brought him out of the dream. _Mabel, what are you doing? He’s never going to stop going after us if you let him live!_ Mabel’s voice was shaky and hard as she answered, _**Stop it, Dipper. I can handle this.**_ Disappointed and sort of glad at the same time, Dipper had backed off and watched as Mabel floated to the ground and walked up to Gideon.

The platinum-blond shook as she approached and scrambled backwards, muttering curses as nervous sweat trickled down his cheeks. His back bumped into a tree. Walking slowly toward him, Mabel hissed, _**I will never let you harm my family again, Gideon. If you don’t leave us alone, I won’t show mercy next time. Now, release Dipper from your service.**_ When Gideon stubbornly shook his head, Mabel unholstered and shot her grappling hook an inch away from his face, making him flinch as wood chips showered his face. “ _Fine!_ I, Gideon Gleeful, release Dipper Pines from my service,” he said hurriedly, giving Mabel a poisonous look before spitting at her. With cold finality, Mabel backhanded him, _hard_ , knocking his head back against the bark of the tree. She then used Gideon’s knife--she’d wrenched it out of his grip while he was sleeping--to cut the rope and hook off the gun before tying him to the tree with it. “Rest in peace, loyal grappling hook,” Mabel murmured. She then walked away toward Acacia, who, as Dipper just noticed, had woken and watched the transpiring events with awe and fear.

 _Wait, Mabel_ , Dipper said, _give me back my power. I have something to say to Gideon._ Mabel’s features hardened, but she nodded all the same. Dipper drew the magic out of Mabel, who exhaled harshly and slumped over a tiny bit before steadying herself and cutting through Acacia’s bonds. Feeling empowered enough to turn corporeal, he did so, walked over to Gideon, and crouched in front of him. _What is the name of the memory demon you made a deal with?_ Gideon glanced at Dipper with eyes full of resigned hatred. “I’m not telling you.” His face was stony and determined, and he glanced away resolutely. Dipper sighed in annoyance and was about to press the issue--with force, if need be--when a little bit of information flitted into his head. With a breath of “defeat”, Dipper said, _Fine. We’ll leave you here overnight. See if you’re still stubborn in the morning._

With that said and done, Dipper floated after Mabel, who’d picked up Acacia and was now carrying her away from the clearing and toward the Mystery Shack. Dipper felt desperately tired, and he could only imagine how Mabel felt. Acacia must’ve been too, because despite her fear (and likely trauma, poor niblet), she’d fallen asleep in Mabel’s arms. His twin murmured, “So we’re really going to leave him here? I was going to call the police and let them pick him up. So I guess we’ll come back tomorrow instead?”

Dipper felt queasy: he didn’t really want to share the information he’d received with Mabel. But he owed it to her. _There’ll be no need to. He’ll be dead by the time we get there._ Mabel whipped around with an shocked, “ _What?_ ” Dipper, hoping foolishly that speaking quickly would make things better, said, _Once I asked him who he’d made a deal with, I... sort of doomed him. The demon’s going to visit him and kill him to prevent Gideon from telling me his identity._ Technically, because of the vision, Dipper now knew the demon’s name anyway, but he decided not to bring that up. Mabel rounded on him and said, “Dipper, that’s terrible! We have to go back and… I don’t know, bring him back to the police, or something!”

Mabel’s frustration and angst washed over him, but it only fueled his conviction. _I’m not a monster for letting the guy who’s repeatedly threatened our family get what he deserves. And what about you? Until you woke him up you looked like you were going to kill him yourself!_ Dipper flinched inwardly upon seeing Mabel’s hurt look. Weakly, he murmured, _I… I didn’t really--_ “Dipper, didn’t you notice? Acacia was watching me. She was scared of me… my own daughter... I couldn’t do something like that in front of her. And when I was--when I was punishing Gideon, it--it felt good. I was happy he was in pain.” Mabel’s voice was thick with guilt and she seemed to be on the verge of crying.

Dipper himself felt guilty; he hadn’t known that in directing his power through Mabel, there was a chance he’d transfer over some of his emotions. He was about to apologize to Mabel when she continued, “And besides, if I killed him, that would make me just as bad as him. Think about how many times he tried to kill _us_. Even then, that doesn’t mean he deserves to die! I just wanted him to understand that I meant business when I told him to leave us alone. I don’t think I could sleep at night if I followed through because he didn’t listen. When it’s my choice, I don’t want people to die.”

Dipper placed a hand on Mabel’s shoulder comfortingly. The few times he’d possessed Mabel and used her body to kill cultists, it had never really been _Mabel_ doing it. The two of them accepted that. But Mabel herself… Dipper had to agree that he couldn’t imagine her killing anyone. In fact, the reality of that was something Dipper was comfortable with. No matter what, Mabel could be counted on to show compassion and mercy. She balanced him out when he was... less stable. Mabel was all the best things a human could be. _I understand, Mabel,_ said Dipper, and maybe that was good enough for now. The two siblings two walked home in companionable silence. Dipper, knowing the joy everyone would feel at having Acacia back and the relief he and Mabel would feel with Gideon gone, smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! We're finished. This was a great experience for me, and I hope you had one, too. I want to thank all of you who've liked, kudos'd, commented, bookmarked, and subscribed! And while most of my future fics will not be Gravity Falls/Transcendence-themed, there will be more where these came from!
> 
> Inspirations came from: ([x](http://transcendence-au.tumblr.com/post/101517615028/charliessketchesandshit-based-of-this-post))([x](http://transcendence-au.tumblr.com/post/101734227168/is-it-too-late-to-suggest-that-willow-ends-up-dating))([x](http://transcendence-au.tumblr.com/post/101673662768/not-so-gleeful))([x](http://bronzewitch30928.tumblr.com/post/101749181770/jeremiah-gleeful-backround-info))

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve been completely devoured by the Gravity Falls Transcendence!AU. When I saw these ([x](http://transcendence-au.tumblr.com/post/99351655563/what-would-happen-if-lil-gideon-tried-summoning-alcor))([x](http://transcendence-au.tumblr.com/post/99514581503/that-post-about-gideon-summoning-dipper-it-would-be)) posts about Gideon summoning Alcor, I had to write something for it. The incantation Gideon uses to summon Alcor came from ([x](http://drops-of-gravity.tumblr.com/post/99686838096/on-latin-and-alcors-invocation)).


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